Operating mechanism for washing machines and the like



Nov. 21, 1950 1.. E. DELOGHIA 2,531,353 OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 13, 1944 INVENTOR.

wfliaga ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 21, 1950 OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Louis E. Deloghia, Agawam, Mass, assignor to Perkins Machine and Gear Company, West Springfield, Mass., a corporation oi Massachusetts Application December 13, 1944, Serial No. 567,912

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the improvements in operating mechanism and it is directed more particularly to operating mechanism for osciLating a shaft back and forth.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision of mechanism for oscillating a shaft back and forth through various predetermined angles. That is for oscillating a shaft in such a way that the oscillations thereof may be readily and easily varied between zero and a maximum at the will of the operator.

The novel features of the invention will be described with particular reference to what is known as domestic washing apparatus. In such apparatus a shaft carrying an agitator in a tub is oscillated in opposite directions. With such apparatus since certain materials require more or less agitation than others, it is desired to vary the extent or angle of oscil ations and to that end the novel means of this invention are adapted but it will be understood that it is not desired to be so limited.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a partial inverted plan view of a Washing machine tub having the novel mechanism of the invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an elevational sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view through the casing of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

The bottom wall of a washing machine tub is represented by 2 upwardly from which extends the side wall 4 of said tub. A housing is represented by 6 which with a cover 8 encloses the mechanism of the invention. A portion of the cover is shown in Fig. 2 and is secured to the housing in the usual manner. The housing and cover as in ordinarywashing machine construction are made to contain the driving mechanism and a supply of lubricant such as oil.

The housing 6 is secured to the tub in any convenient manner and as is usual in washing machine construction, a shaft l is'journalled in the housing and extends upwardly at a side of the tub for operating a clothes wringer such as is usually disposed at the upper side of the tub.

The shaft [B has a worm wheel l2 fixed thereto and a shaft M has a worm [3 in operative engagement with said Worm wheel. The shaft i4 is connected by a coupling 18 to a shaft 20 of a motor 22 that is supported in a bracket construction 2 3 secured to members 26 associated with the housing 6.

A casing is represented generally by 30 and it includes a body member 36 and end heads 38 secured to opposite ends thereof. The casin may be associated with the housing in any manner desired but in the embodiment of the invention shown, lugs 32 are secured to bosses 34 associated with the housing. The body is provided with a main piston bore 45 in which is reciprocable a main piston or driver 42. The piston G2 is connected to the worm wheel I2 by a link it pivotally connected thereto as shown. As the worm wheel rotates the driver 42 is reciprocated back and forth in its bore. The pivotal connection of the link 46 and driver 42 may extend through a slot 4 3 provided in the body.

Rack bores 56 and 52 are provided in the body and in these are reciprocable driven members 5| and 53 which are in the form of racks preferably cylindrical in cross section. A pinion 6| is in engagement with adjacent sides of the driven members 5| and 53 and is disposed in a recess provided in the body. Said pinion is fixed to a shaft 53 which may oscillate the agitator shaft of the washing machine.

A passageway 64 in one of the heads 38 and a passageway 536 in the other head 38 connect opposite ends of the bores 40 and 52. A passageway 68 connects the passageway 54 and the bore 56 at one end thereof. Ports l5 and 12 in the passageway 5 and in the passageway 56 are connected by a passageway, shown in dotted lines, so that the passageway 56 is connected to one end of the bore 56. A valve member 62 is rotatable in the body 35 and has a port therethrough as shown which may register with a passageway 66 connecting the passageways 6t and 55.

The bores may be filled with liquid such as oil, that is lubricating oil from the housing, or air or gas may be employed but for purposes of disclosure it will be assumed that lubricating oil is employed.

As the worm wheel rotates the driver 52 is reciprocated back and forth so that oil, when the valve 62 is in the position shown, is forced from the bore, 46 around and through the passageway 60 so as to not act on the driven members 5| and 53. However, as the valve 62 is rotated so as to stop or control the flow of liquid through the passageway 68 the liquid acted upon by the drive member 42 acts more or less on the driven members 51 and =53. 'With the valve 'or control member "62 in closed position the members 5| and 53 are given the greatest reciprocating movements so as to oscillate shaft 63 through the maximum angle of oscillation.

Therefore by manipulation of the valve 62 it is possible to give the shaft 63 any desired angle of oscillation between zero and its maximum. The valve 62 may be operated in any desired manner but as shown a shaft 63' thereof extends through the housing 6 and it is operatively connected by gear 75 to ash'aft T4. The shaft i4 is journalled in a bracket M and carries a manually engageable member 16. By turning the shaft 14 the valve may be set in various .positions to bring about the desired angle of oscillations of the shaft 63. r

Either or both of the driven members 5'! 'and -53 at one or both oftheir ends may carry a spring such as 7-6 as shown in 'Fig. 3, so that as the driven member approaches the'limi't of its movement in one direction the spring abuts the head 38. Some such arrangement is desirable to prevent the parts from becoming pos tioned where it is difiicult for the driver to start operations of the mechanism when started up.

A recess 65 around pinion iii has a port or ports '6? through casing 33 and leading into the housing as shown in Fg. 3 so that as the members 5i and 53 approach their outer positions oil or liquid may pass between the member El and 53 "and pinion 6i intothe recess and out the ports into the housing. That is, pressure of liquid on the ends of the pistons is relieved when the driven members reach their outermost positions.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are tllerefore to be considered in all a lower wallof a washing machine tub-comprising in combination, a closed housing construction or securing'to said wall having-a compartment therein, a casing in said compartment provided wit 1. a drive bore and a pair of independent driven bores separate therefrom and having separate displacement and control passageways, one of said displacement passageways connecting one end of said drive bore with one end of one of said driven bores and with an oppos'iteend of the other driven bore and another of said displacement passageways connecting the opposite end of said drive bore with opposite ends of-said driven bores, a control passageway connecting opposite ends of said drive bore, a drive piston reciprocable back and 'forth'in said drive'bore for displacing fluid through said control "and displacement passageways, a drive shaft rotatable in said housing, connections between said drive shaft and drive piston whereby said piston is "iec'iprocated by'rotation of "said shaft through a BID respects merely as being iilustratfle and not as 1 certain stroke to "alternately displace fluid from "15 opposite ends of the drive bore, driven pistons in said driven bores adapted for reciprocation back and forth in opposite directions accordingly as the drive piston is reciprocated to displace fluid through said displacement passageways alternately and simultaneously into the driven bores "and against opposite ends 'of the driven pistons, a driven shaft for an agitator oscillatable in said housing, operative connections between said shaft and said driven pistons for oscillation of the former "by reciprocation of the latter, and adjustable valve means in said control passageway for controlling the flow of fluid therethrough whereby the displacement of fluid acting on the driven pistons is controlled for varying the angle of agitation of said driven shaft.

2. Mechanism -for oscillating the agitator of a washing machine alternately back and forth through variable angles-adapted to be secured to a lower wall of a washing machine tub comprising 'ih'combination, 'a bios ed housing "construction for securingto said wall having a compartment therein, a "casing 'said compartment provided with a drive bore and 'apair 'o'findependent driven bores separate therefrom and having separate displacement and control passageways, one of said "displacement passageways connecting one endo'f "said drive bore withone'endofone of "said drivenbores and with an opposite end of the other driven bore and another of said displacement passageways connecting'the'oppos'it'e end-of said drive bore with opposite ends of said driven bores, a control passageway connecting opposite ends of said drive bore, a drive piston reciprocable back and forth in said drive bore for 'displacing fluid through said control and displacement passageways, a drive shaft rotatable in said housing, connections between said'drive shaft and drive piston whereby said piston is -'recipro cated 'by rotation of "said shaft through a certain stroke 'to alternately displace fluid from opposite ends of the drive bore, 'driven'pistons'in said driven bores adapted for reciprocation back and forth in opposite directions accordingly "as the drive piston is reciprocated to displace fluid through said displacement passageways alternately and simultaneously into the driven bores and against opposite ends of the driven pistons, a driven shaft for an agitator oscillatable in said housing, operative connections between said shaft and said driven :pistons for oscillation of the former by reciprocation of the latter, and adjustable valve means in said control passageway for controlling the "flow of fluid therethrough whereby the displacement of -fluid acting on'the driven pistons is controlled for varying the angle of agitation of said driven "shaft, said operative connections including a pinion 'fixed on said driven shaft'between said driven pistons and rack teeth on adjacent 'si'ds of sai'd driven'pist'ons.

3. Mechanism for oscillatingthe agitator of a washing machine alternately back and forth through variable anglesad'apted to be secured to a lower wall of a washing machine tub comprising in combination, a closed housing construction for securingto said wall having a comip'a'rtmenttherein, a "casing in "said compartment provided 'witha drive bore "and a pair of-independent'driven' boresseparate therefrom'and'having separate displacement and control passageways, one of said displacement passageways connecting one "end of "said drive bore with "one end atom of said-driven bores and with an opposite endof the other 'drivenboreand another of said displacement passageways connecting the "opposite end of said drive bore with opposite ends of said driven bores, a control passageway connecting opposite ends of said drive bore, a drive piston reciprocable back and forth in said drive bore for displacing fluid through said control and displacement passageways, a drive shaft rotatable in said housing, connections between said drive shaft and drive piston whereby said piston is reciprocated by rotation of said shaft through a certain stroke to alternately displace fluid from opposite ends of the drive bore, driven pistons in said driven bores adapted for reciprocation back and forth in opposite directions accordingly as the drive piston is reciprocated to displace fluid through said displacement passageways alternately and simultaneously into the driven bores and against opposite ends of the driven pistons, a driven shaft for an agitator oscillatable in said housing, operative connections between said shaft and said driven pistons for oscillation of the former by reciprocation of the latter, and adjustable valve means in said control passageway for controlling the flow of fluid therethrough whereby the displacement of fluid acting on the driven pistons is controlled for varying the angle of agitation of said driven shaft, said operative connections including a pinion fixed on said driven shaft between said driven pistons and rack teeth on adjacent sides of said driven pistons,

said casing provided with a passageway from said drive bore into the compartment of the housing.

LOUIS E. DELOGHIA.

5 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

10 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 560,934 Robertson May 26, 1896 662,515 Yale Nov. 27, 1900 1,719,502 Dienner July 2, 1929 1,927,580 Wisner Sept. 19, 1933 1,932,246 Kirby Oct. 24, 1933 2,186,015 Erling Jan. 9, 1940 2,196,056 Carmichael Apr. 2, 1940 2,202,499 Logue May 28, 1940 2,262,432 Rodder Nov. 11, 1941 2,262,814 Norvell Nov. 18, 1941 2,268,968 Stinne Jan. 6, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 418,434 Great Britain Oct, 17, 1934 109,010 Switzerland Feb. 2, 1925 218,965 Switzerland May 6, 1940 

